Electric-circuit controller.



, w; D. HEATH.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Patenta pc.- 10,1912.

l APPLICATIOI IILIVBD 10V. 23, 1911. 1,046,46 8.

UNiTED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

WALTER D. HEATH, F LAKEPORT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- .f `LIENTS, T0 A. V. MANUFACTURING CO., OF NEWl YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

` To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, WALTER D. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lakeport, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Electric-Circuit Controllers, of which the following isa specification. 'l

The object of my4 invention is to provide vsimple.and efficient means for causing the make and break in electric circuits in the desired sequence or order, myinvention be# i-ng applicable as a timer or distribute;` in

4 ignition systems forI internalv combustion engines, and it may be. used as `a unisparker in connection with battery, dynamo or low or high tension coil or magneto circuits.

- My invention comprises novel details of improvement and combinations of parts that will be more fu/lly hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein Figure 1 is a face View of my improved controller, the cover being removed, showing the various circuits broken at the make and break contacts; Fig. 2 is a side elevation s partly in section; Fig. 3 isa view similar to the rockers 4, the remainder of the cam 3 being shown in cylindrical form. The rock- .ers 4 .are'shown pivotally carried by studs 5 secured within casing 1. In the example shown I have illustrated four rockers and four studs carrying the rockers spaced equidistantly apart around member 3. The arm 4b of one rocker 4 over-lies the arm 4a of an adjacent rocker and between two of such arms a spring 6 is interposed tending to press the corresponding arm 4 toward member 3 and the adjacent arm 4b away from member 3, while at the same time the arm 4b that is connected with-said rocker is mainl Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led November 23, 1911. Serial No. 661,970.,

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

tained under tension for immediate outward movement by such spring when the reduced part 3"l of member 3 alines with the corresponding arm 4a. The arms 4b are `shown provided with contar 4c adapted to engage correspondin contacts7 carried by casing 1. Cc-ntact's are shown upon screws *7+* supported in insulation 8 fitted inthe wall of casing 1. A nut 9 upon screw 7a serves to lock the said screw firmly to insulation 8 in adjusted position, and anut 10 upon screw 7a seri'es to secure a conductorato such screw.

In the arrangement illustrated the four rockers are so disposed around member 3 vthats the cylindrical part of said member may bear upon all of the arms 4at of the rockers simultaneously to thus and ,thereby breakvall of the circuits at the'corresponding pairs of contacts 4c and 7, and when the flat or reduced part 3"i of member l3 properly alines with an arm 4a of a rocker, the corre'- sponding spring 6 will press arm 4b ofthe corresponding rocker outwardly and the corresponding arm 4a inwardly toward member 3, thereby closing the circuit at the corresponding make and `break contacts` 4, .7,

while the cylindrical part of member 3 at such time engages the arms 4a ofthe other rockers and maintains theircircuits broken, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus, as member 3 rotates, the circuits will be made and broken successively by the movement of thecorresponding arm 4a toward the reduced part of member 3 and the subsequent contact ofthe cylindrical portion of member 3 with such arm. As member 3 and shaft 2.may begrouiided in the circuit, and the conductors connected with the several screws 7 a may be in the circuits of the ignition devices of an internal combustion engine, it will be obvious that as member 3 rotates the various circuits will be made and vbroken successively.

It will be understood that my invention may be used as a timer for the ignition system of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, or as a distributer for a similar system, and that the same may be used to control a' circuit having any desired generator such as a battery, a dynamo, or low or high tension coil .or magneto circuits, and that by the coaction of member 3 with the various rockers 4 a single spark at each pair of make and break contacts may be produced each time a rocker is operated, so that my improvements may be used in ignition systems commonly called unisparkers While I have shown my improved circuit controller as provided with four rockers and corresponding contacts, it will be understood that the same may be provided with any desired number of such rockers and contacts by suitably locating them around a member 3, in the manner set forth with respect to the controller illustrated in the accompanying drawings as adapted for a four cylinder internal combustion engine.

Having now described my invention what Iclaim 1s:-- v

1. The combination of a casing and a rotative cam member, with a plurality of rockers .each having an arm to coact with said member, and each having an arm to make and break a circuit, and a contact to coact with each of the last named arms, an arm of one rocker being outside of an arm of another rocker.

2. The combination of 'a casing and a ro tative cam member, with a plurality of rockers each having an arm to coact with said member, and each having an arm to make and break a circuit, a contact to coact with each of the last named arms, an arm of one rocker overlying an arm of another rocker, and spring means to operate said rockers.

3. The combination of a casing and a rotative cam member, with a plurality of rockers disposed around said member and each having an arm to coact with said member, and each having an arm to. make and break a circuit, and a contact to coact with each of the last named arms, an arm of one rocker being alined with an arm of another rocker, and a spring interposed between such two arms.

. 4. The combination of a casing and a r0- tative cam member, with a plurality of rockers disposed around said member, and each having an arm to coact with said memone rocker being outside of' and alined with the operating arm of an. adjacent member,

and a spring interposed betwen said arms.

6. The combination of acasing and a r0 tative cam member, with a plurality of rockers disposed around said member and each having an arm to coact with said member, and each having an arm to make and break a circuit, and a contact to coact with each of t-he last named arms, the contact arm of one rocker and the operating armrof another rocker being disposed in line in the direction oi a radius of the cam member, one of said arms being outside of 'the other said arm.

7. The combination of a casing and a rotative cam member, with a plurality of rockers disposed around said member and each having an arm to coact with said member, and each having an arm to make and break-a circuit, and a contact to coact with each of the last named arms, the contact arm of one rocker and the operating arm of another rocker being disposed in line in the direction of a radius of the cam member, one of said. arms being outside of the other said arm, and spring means to operate said arms. -V

Signed at Lakeport, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, this 17th day of November, A. D. 1911.

y WALTER D. HEATH.

Witnesses W. O. WHITE, J. J. COLLINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressin'g the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

